Here Comes the Sundance

by Danielle Nussbaum

So, here I am at the biggest festival of the year --Robert Redford's indie film mecca in Park City, Utah where the streets are paved with swag. You can't walk a few feet on the stretch of craziness known as Main Street without bumping into the likes of Zooey Deschanel, Olivia Thirlby, or Kevin Bacon. Of course it's easier to sneak by them, than to be knocked aside by the hoards of paparazzi following Paris Hilton's every move. (Why exactly is she at Sundance anyway?)

This morning, I happily avoided Main Street and woke up at the ungodly hour of 8 AM for The Glass House, a documentary that follows young women in Iran struggling to survive, despite being physically and emotionally abused by their families. They all depend on Omid e Mehr, a center founded by Iranian ex-pat Marjaneh Halati to provide education and assistance to these girls to get them back on their feet. One of the most striking --and inspiring-- stories comes from Nazila, 19, who turns her pain into song lyrics. She raps with a passion that can only come from true experience, even though, as a woman, if she was ever caught, she would surely be jailed and potentially put to death. These young women could be victims, but out of the sadness of their stories comes a strength and resilience that promises hope for a better future.